Diane Thomas
President & CEO of The International Center, 2006-2016
A true global citizen, Diane led The International Center through significant growth and transformation during her tenure as the organization’s first CEO.
Diane Thomas was a worldly woman and a service-driven leader long before she became President of The International Center. During her childhood, Thomas traveled the globe—from her birthplace in Libya to cities in France, Germany and the United States.
But her Hoosier career began back in 1994 when Thomas first moved to Indiana with her husband and children. She worked for years at Planned Parenthood of Central Indiana, until she eventually brought her leadership skills to the global stage.
In 2006, Diane Thomas was named President and CEO of The International Center, marking a new era of prosperity for the organization. Under her leadership, The Center’s budget nearly doubled thanks to grants and gifts from organizations like the Lilly Endowment.
With this welcome increase in funds, Thomas established a variety of new relocation services and cultural competency programs, as well as the Office of Protocol Services. This Office helps people create a welcoming environment for international dignitaries by providing organizations with the best practices and protocols for cross-cultural communication.
Over the years, the Office of Protocol has proved to be an invaluable asset to Indiana’s global growth—and a popular resource for elected officials and businesses alike. In fact, in 2011, the City of Indianapolis officially named The International Center as the core provider of protocol services for the Mayor’s Office.
During her tenure, Diane Thomas worked tirelessly to improve The International Center’s local and global presence. In 2011, she oversaw the organization’s entire rebrand, complete with a new name and logo that is still used today. She established their award-winning internship program and even moved their offices to the iconic Regions Tower in the heart of Indianapolis. 
Thomas also led the creation of the Festival Fund—a program that enriches life in Indiana by celebrating our cultural diversity. Every year, the Festival Fund provides grants to community organizations across the Indianapolis region to support their cultural events and festivals.
“Those festivals not only help promote the state’s cultural diversity,” Thomas said when the Fund launched in 2011. “But they also provide our international residents opportunities to celebrate their heritage and maintain cultural roots.”
After years of success, Thomas left The International Center in 2016 to serve with the Peace Corps in Ukraine. She spent 27 months working at the Lviv Education Foundation to assist civil society groups in Lviv, the largest city in western Ukraine. After her service, she returned to Indiana to enjoy retirement with her family.
“Leading The International Center has been an opportunity of a lifetime,” Thomas said at the time of her resignation. “It was a difficult decision to make. But in my heart, I knew that after a decade of fulfilling service to The Center, it was time to feed my passions and put my knowledge and skills to work in a new way.”
Diane Thomas has truly dedicated her life to service—both here in Indiana and across the globe. During her time at The Center, she also served as Indiana’s first honorary consul to France and a board member for both the International School of Indiana and the National Council for International Visitors (NCIV).
Now, her legacy lives on through the many services and programs at The International Center. Because without her efforts, The International Center simply would not be the same robust organization that it is today.
